> I just received in the mail from a UK nursery what they
> described in their catalogue as being a 3-year-old
> Cephalotus. The entire plant measures about 2cm in
> diameter, 1.5cm tall, and the pitchers are about 5mm
> in diameter. I'm having a hard time believing that it
> would still be this small after 3 long years.
> Have I been duped ? For what I paid for it, I was
> hoping for something a bit bigger than this little toddler.
All I can really say is that it would be better if they described the
size of the plant rather than its age, then you would know what you
were getting. Was your plant from Marston's perhaps. I've never
really bought plants (apart from a single Nepenthes from the local
garden centre), but Marston's are the only nursery I have really
heard of in England, and I see their exhibit every year at Southport
Flower Show.
I have only one Cephalotus that I raised from seed -
the only result so far from two packets of maybe 5-10 seeds from
Rowlands - and after two years it is about 1cm in diameter with 4
small pitchers. It is about the same size as my two other plants were
when someone kindly gave them to me maybe 4 years ago. These two
flowered for the first time last year - I guess they could now
be described as full grown - about 10cm in diameter with pitchers
more than 4cm tall - the pitchers are a dark red.
I collected seed from my two flower spikes last year - I don't know
whether it was a good idea but I sowed it in the Autumn (I
increasingly believe that seed should be sown at the time it would have
fallen from the plant naturally, rather than being stored). No
germination so far, but I remain optimistic as Spring approaches.
Cephalotus is one of my favourites - I wish it seemed easier to raise
from seed. I see one of Slack's books mentions leaf cuttings - perhaps
something to try this Summer.
-- Clarke Brunt (clarke@brunt.demon.co.uk)